Storage compartments for ice-cream cabinets or the like



Patented May 7, 1929.

UNITED STATES PArENr oFFlcE.

LLOYD COPEMAN, OF FLINT, MIGHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO COPEMA'N' IIA-BQIMLTORIES` COMPANY, OF FLINT, vIVIICHIvGrAN, A CORPORATION 0E MICHIGAN.

STORAGE COMPARTMENTS ,FOR ICE-CREAM GABINETS OR THE LIKE.

Application led February 12, 1927. Serial lo. 167,615.

This invention relates to storage compartn ments for" ice cream cabinets or the like, and has to do particularly with a novel construction of storage container for` receiving ice cream cans or similar articles, which container is adapted to be easily removable and replaceable toy permit quick and easy cleaning. thereof. It also has todo with the novel vmanner of maintaining the yheat conducting relation with the refrigerating medium of the cabinet. v

Heretofore `in ice cream cabinets or similar devices having storage compartments for receiving the ice cream cans, it has been the practice to provide a metallic tank-'for receiving the brine or refrigerating medium and torigidly secure or weld the compartment containers to the tank top, or cabinet top. One ofthe reasons for such construction is because Aof the 'high specific gravity of the brine and the resulting buoyancy of the compartment containers.V structions have produced other disadvan-l tages besides the structural features and such other disadvantages have included the problem of sanitation. The storage container being permanent and the icecream cans being removable, the space between the cans and the storage container walls has usually within a very shorttime become very unsan.- itary. Furthermore, the cleaning of the storage containers has been so difficult that as a general rule such containers have not been cleaned until it has been necessary to remove the top with all the containers at the factory for repairs, or for other reasons.

It is the object of the -presentinvention to divide storage compartments, whichvare formed in two parts, one part beingper-` manent andfweldedv or otherwise securedlto Athe brine tank, and the otherpart being easily removable at all times and therefore quickly cleanable andf replaceable. This novel structure is accomplished by reason of the fact that I `have provided a spacebetween the temporary storage container and the per marient storage container which is adapted to be yfilledwith a film( of brine, such brine maintaining thev heat conducting relation between the refrigerating means andthe ice cream can. This lm of-brine preferably permits the temporarycontainer to settle in the permanent container of its own weight; It permits the -temporaryccntainer to -Lbe easily removed and cleaned, and it also Such conp permits the useof a tempera-ry container of much thinner walls as there is veryy little chance of sticking, and in case of any puncturing of the walls thereof it does not affect the permanent containerV and thus does not necessitate expensive repair and complete replacement as is now the case in practically all commercial ice cream cabinets.

The drawing is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, somewhat diagrammatic, ,ofV an icel cream cabinet embodying my invention, and showing one form ofl permanentstorage container and the manner of inserting the temporary container therein.v I

The present invent-ion is designed for use particularly in connection with ice cream cabinets, or the like, utilizing brine as the refrigerating or heat transmitting medium. In the drawings I have illustrated, some` what diagrammatically, a standard icc cream cabinet of the brine tank type, which may be generally designated l. This tank is provided with metallic top and cover portions 3, and 'to the cover portion 3 I have shown welded a storage compartment container 4. It will be understood that this storage compartment container 4 maybe welded to `the lmetallic top 2, orv may be -otherwisesecured in the cabinet, the pointv is preferably providedwith a suitable aper.

ture 6 for receiving a stopper, or valvemember 7. The upper partk of thepermanent container 4gis provided with Aa series of apertures or openings 8 which Aare `preferably positioned so as to vbe above the normal height of the brine 5. Theupper part of the container 4 is also provided with an inwardly projecting annular portion 9 which forms ay guide or bearing member for the temporary containerfabout to be described. The annular portion 9 is ypreferably provided withone or rmore bayonet slots l0.

The storage container for directly rece'iving the ice cream can may be generally designated 11 and is preferably cylindrical in shape and open at the upper end., Itlnay beprovided with 'suitable ,aperturesflQ at its upper end whereby to permit removal by hooks or other means. As shown, the bottom portion of the removable container 11 is provided with a recessed end, but it will be understood that such end may be formed in any manner desired. The portion of the removable container ll, which is positioned adjacent the annular depression 9, may be provided with one or more pins, as shown at 13, for registering with the bayonet slot, or slots l0, in the permanent container 4. In the usual construction of an apparatus enibodying my invention such bayonet slots and pins will not be necessary as will be presently described, but in order to 'positively maintain the removable container 11 in place, such pins and bayonet slots may be provided.

In operation, the plugs 7 will be removed and an amount of brine allowed to flow into the permanent storage container, such as is shown in the right hand unit in the drawings. The plug willV then be replaced and the removable or temporary storage container l1 inserted, as shown in the left hand unit of the drawings. The space between the two containers in the drawing is seme what exaggerated and this preferably may be a relatively thin film whereby the weight of the inner container l1 will be sufficient to overcome any buoyant effect of the brine entrapped within t-he permanent container 1l. As the inner container ll is lowered by force, or its own weight, the brine will beA forced upwardly along the sides and in the space between the two containers. The excess brine will How back into the main body ner container l1 removably securedin place. Y

The ice cream vcan may then be inserted within the removable container 11 andthe brine between the pe 'man ent container 4 and the inner container will serve as a good conductor and holdover medium` for transQ mitting the heat units between the main body of brine and the ice cream cans. When the ice cream can is empty it is only necessary to insert suitable hooks in the apertures l2, or to grasp the removable container ll and remove the same from the cabinet, as the film of brine will prevent any freezing or forma-tion of frost between the two containers. When the inner container 11 is removed from the cabinet it will be a very simple matter to remove the ice cream can, and even if the same is frozen within the container, it may be immersed in hot water and very quickly removed. After the ice cream can is removed it will be a very easy matter to thoroughly clean and sterilize the removable container. It will be obvious that this may be done at each removal of the ice cream can, or may be done at the end of the day or the end of the week, the point being, that it is removable and cleanable when desired and positively prevents any puncturing or otherwise damaging of the external permanent container 4t., There is no reason why the inner container 1l should be punctured, but in case the same is punctured it may be very easily replaced with a minimum of expense. j Y

It will be understood that if desired 'the plug 7 may be removed, the apertures 8 lowered and the bottom of the inner Ycontainer ll so formed that a free thermosiphon action ofthe brine may take place between the inner and out-erv shells. However, this is entirely within thescope of applicants invention, and it will be understood that the claims are intended to cover the interposition of the brine betweenrthe inner and outer containers whether stationary or subject to circulation.

' lVhat I claim is: Y

l. Ice cream cabinets, or similar structures of the type having" a brine tank and a compartment container rigidly secured to the tank and extendingV within and surrounded by the brine, comprising Vin combination with said `container of a'readily removable imperforate container, for receiving the ice cream cans and the like, positionable within said fixed container, and a non-freezing solution fillingthe space between said fixed container and removable container.

2. In combination with an ice cream cabinet Iof the type having a brine tank and a compartment `container or containers immersed therein, of an inner container adapt ed to be readily removable, and asmall independent body of brine within said `compartment container and adapted to be forced up between the inner compartment container by the inserting` in Vplace of said innercont-ainer.- Y

3. An ice cream cabinet, or the like, comprising a brine tank, a fixed container *immersed therein, a second container positioned within said first named container and anonfreezing solution isolated from said main body of brine and partially filling the space between said containers. l

4. In an ice cream cabinet, orthe like, of the type having a brine tank, a fixed container projecting in the brine and provided with Vapertures in the upper endy thereof, and an 'aperture in the lower end thereof, a

removable container positionable in said fixed container` adapted to force the brine up between the walls of the two containers and adapted to forcethe surplus 'brine out 'i through the apertures of the upper end of the fixed container land vback into the lmain body of brine.

5. In an ice cream cabinet, or similar structure, the combination of a compartment container' of heat conducting material adapted to transmit heat units between the refrigerating medium and the contents in the interior of the'container, and a second containerl removably positioned within the inner compartment of said first container and spaced therefrom andadapted to receive the ice cream can or otherA article, the temperature of which is adapted to be controlled by the cabinet.

6. A method of positioning and controlling the temperatureA of ice cream cans in ice cream cabinets, or similar structures, of the type having a brine tank and rigidlysecured containers projecting into the brine, which comprises interposing a receiving member between said container and the ice cream can or article to be cooled, and then interposing a conducting but non-freezing medium between said inner receiver and said container whereby to prevent the forming of frost and to permit ready removability of said receiver for cleaning.

7. The method of installing and controlling the temperature of ice cream cans forming a part of an iceJ cream cabinet of the type having a brine tank and a main container immersed therein, which comprises admitting a portion of the brine of the brine tank into said main container by means of a hole in the main container, then stopping the hole in the main container by means of a plug, and then placing a second container for the ice cream cans or similar articles into said first container whereby to force the brine upwardly between the space provided between the two containers, the said displaced brine insuring the transmission of heat units, preventing the formation of frosty and permitting removability of said inner container.y

8. The method of installing and controlling the temperature of compartments in ice cream cabinets, or similar structures, of the type having a fixed outer compartment and a removable inner compartment, which comprises placing the inner compartment within the outer compartment and maintaining a completely independent film of non-freezing solution between said two compartments.

9. An ice cream cabinet or similar strucling the temperature of compartments in v vice cream cabinets and similar structures,- of

the type having an outer compartment having inlet and outlet apertures for the brine, whichcomprises enclosing a limited quantity of brine in thebottom of said container, inserting a container within said first named contaner to force the independent limited quantity of brine upwardly in a thin film between the two containers and to torce any surplus brine out through the apertures in the outer container. f v

11. An ice cream cabinet, or the like, of the type having a brine tank and a container fixed to vsaid brine tank .and extending within the brine, comprising in `combination of an imperorate container positioned within said fixed container, said imperforate container adapted to receive the ice cream can or other article, and a non-freezing solution filling the space between said imperforate container and said fixed container.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature.l

LLOYD Gr. COPEMAN. 

